The present invention relates to an insect shield assembly for a vehicle and, more particularly, to an insect shield assembly with screen means and deflector means for shielding the entire front of a vehicle from insects and other highway debris.
Insect shields are normally used for a few weeks each year in various areas of the country which experience a severe insect problem. During periods of use, the shield may be frequently removed for security purposes or for cleaning the shield or the vehicle on which it is mounted. During periods in which a shield is not needed, it will typically be stored. Accordingly, an insect shield should be of a simple, inexpensive construction which is easily mountable and removable and easily disassembled or "knocked down" for storage.
Various insect shield designs have been proposed which include shields having screen members to catch insects and thus prevent them from striking the front end of a vehicle and windshield deflectors mounted above the screen members which deflect the air impinging thereon and direct it above and away from the vehicle windshield, carrying insects and debris over the vehicle. The known deflectors are made from solid plastic plates which must be machined to size and to interfit with mounting hardware and, accordingly, are relatively expensive to manufacture. Some deflectors must be custom manufactured for various automobile makes and models and are especially costly to produce. The mounting hardware is also relatively expensive, partly because the hardware must be sufficiently strong not to collapse under the wind forces created by a high speed vehicle.